This invention relates to pool covers used to protect swimming pools, and more particularly, to a free floating pool cover used in conjunction with a winter cover placed over the pool to protect it during the off-season and which protects inhibits algae growth in the water left in the pool during that period.
It is commonplace for swimming pool owners to install a cover over their swimming pool to protect the pool from leaves and other debris which would otherwise accumulate in the pool when it is not in use. Further, because the pool is typically not drained during the off-season, the pool cover prevents anyone around the pool from inadvertently falling into the pool. One type of pool cover which used is made of a mesh material which is strong enough to support someone's weight, and at the same time, allow any water which might fall onto the cover to drain through to the water below. Further, the cover design is such that if someone did fall upon it, it would prevent water from seeping through the cover in any quantity sufficient to drown the person.
In addition to this off-season cover, some pool owners employ another cover during the time the pool is in use. This cover is a free floating cover made of a thin, transparent material. This cover is floated on the top of the water when the pool is not in use to absorb heat energy from the sun and retain it in the pool water.
When the pool is taken out of use at the end of the swimming season, the pool water is usually heavily chlorinated. However, during the off-season, light from the sun shining either directly on the pool water, or through the winter cover, causes algae to grow in the pool water. As result, when it again time to use the pool, and the winter cover is removed, the water has an ugly green-black growth of algae which must be removed before the pool can be used. Such removal is both time consuming and expensive since the pool must again be chemically treated to kill off the algae and render the pool water safe for humans.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,536 there is described a solar-type pool cover which is a multiple layer cover, in which an intermediate layer (16) is made of an opaque material and a reflective layer (17) are used to block sunlight from reaching the pool water and promoting algae growth. While such a pool cover construction may be effective for this and other intended purposes of the design, such a cover is costly, and difficult to install, remove, and store. The pool cover of the present invention provides a low cost, easy to install, and readily stowable cover which further can be adapted to a wide variety of pool configurations.